WARNING: May result in
rapid fat loss, major
health improvements and
extremely impressed relatives!
I am excited to introduce you to one of Mark’s Daily Apple’s favorite authors. His name is Sandor Katz (you can call him Sandorkraut), and he is a self-proclaimed fermentation fetishist, herbalist and food activist. In just two books he has inspired us to try our hand at creating our very own savory seed sauerkraut, and to (further) challenge the practices and tactics of multinational food conglomerates.
Posted By: Aaron
Advertisers have been getting smart by appealing to consumers’ multiple senses.
To wit: scented bus stops. Bakeries like Mrs. Field’s have long maximized appeal by wafting sugary scents through the air, and now bus stops are following suit. For example, California’s Milk Processor Board ran a one-month campaign earlier this year that floated chocolate chip cookie aromas through several West Coast bus stops. It was cut short by – of all things – protesting San Franciscans! 
And Aaron digs up another (older) case of multi-sensory marketing: move over perfume – hello, food-scented ads! (NYT Select)
Posted By: Sara
Worker Bees’ Daily Bites:
What’s shakin’, Apples? I’m here to highlight the best links to get your week off to an informed and healthy start:
Do you trust Big Pharma? You shouldn’t. (I know we said we’d lay off those guys for a while, but this is pretty important news. Official laying-off begins now.)
Dairy Ads Pulled
Finally! Sara practically passed out from joy at this news. (She has researched the Big Moo and Blunder Tonic diet deception extensively.) Want to lose weight? Start here.
More Scams Debunked
Deer velvet is my personal favorite. Come on, gimme a break! This site is no-frills but nicely summarizes some popular supplement scams. I disagree with the last one. What do you think?
Buy Milk in the Dark
This milk advice is one of the most odd, but useful, health tips I’ve seen yet. Buying milk that’s been exposed to fluorescent light destroys precious nutrients. (As you’ll note from reading our assorted research into Big Moo, I think your best bet is to buy raw milk from a reputable local source, but this is not recommended by the federal government.)
Mother’s Milk Vs. Nestle
To say I’m bothered by the fact that Nestle pushes baby formula on new mothers in regions that lack potable water would be an understatement. Breast-feeding is the obvious choice for nourishing infants in impoverished areas where clean water and good food are scarce for mom, let alone baby, but apparently Nestle would rather turn a quick profit and shove sugary formula (deficient in EFAs) down newborns’ throats. Thousands of babies are dying as a result. Read about it here. I for one am boycotting Nestle. They make a LOT of products – they’re the biggest food company in the world. Fortunately, they don’t typically make healthy food, so it’s easy to avoid supporting them.
Technorati Tags: oxycontin, deer velvet, Nestle, baby formula, dairy ads
Posted By: Elliott
Worker Bees’ Daily Bites
Before we Bees expire from the sudden SoCal heat, Apples, we’ve brought you the best of the batch from today’s news and studies. Glaciers aren’t the only things melting around here. Where’s a walk-in freezer when you need one?
Redefining Risotto
Not that you health smarties would ever make pasta a part of your daily routine, but be warned: Target’s pasta is sauced in salmonella. Wait, Target sells pasta now? Where have we been?
This is J. Reed’s Flickr Photo
A Case for Starvation, Part 2
Strict calorie reduction: one of those very touchy, politically incorrect subjects bobbing about in health studies lately. Naturally…we’re all over it.
Want to live longer? Don’t eat much.
Food for thought: who says we need to eat three, or four, or six meals a day, every day, religiously? Why do we codify sensible health knowledge into bedrock health fundamentals not even kung fu masters could smash through? (Let alone Chuck Norris.) Will the world end if you don’t follow the three-meal-a-day rule? Will pigs fly if one day you drink two glasses of water and the next day you drink seven? Why do we like being bossed around like grade schoolers rules so much? Maybe the great philosophers were right. Maybe humans will do anything but think. Okay, enough pondering. We’re going to go dunk ourselves in a bucket of ice now. How’s the weather in your neighborhood?
Whole Grain Shenanigans
This study is incredibly irritating. First, no one ruled out other possible factors that would contribute to better cardiovascular health. Secondly, the results were based on questionnaires the folks filled out themselves. And thirdly, the reduction in heart attack risk was merely associative. But you can bet the cereal makers of America are going to brag about a bowl of sugar flakes saving you from a heart attack with more zeal than the dairy industry brags about milk being a “proven” weight reducer…
…of two whole pounds…in some people…in a study funded by Big Moo.
Yet what do we see all over magazines and television? Low-fat dairy makes you skinny. And now, Big Agra – er, cereal – keeps you from getting heart disease! They should just hop into a bowl together and save everyone’s health! Ooh, ooh, we know – how about cereal in milk? That will save everyone’s health and make them skinny! Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?!
This is Peter Allen’s Flickr Photo
Disclaimer: Flickr members graciously share their photos – so be sure to click the links to see their other works! They may not necessarily agree with or endorse the views expressed here at Mark’s Daily Apple.
Posted By: Worker Bee
I’ve gotten so many great health questions from you all this week, I’m still working through several of the emails. (Sorry for the delay – I haven’t forgotten you! I encourage you to post your questions in the Forum, so that along with my tips, you’ll get the whole gang to help you out.) There were a few questions this week regarding various quack products and FDA warnings that I’ve been asked a number of times over the years, so let’s set the record straight here at MDA.
1. Sandra recently asked me about transfer factor supplements – do they work, and should we be taking them?
“Transfer factor” is derived from bovine colostrum and is said to enhance immunity and muscle performance, among other claims. Like glandulars, this is a product without much to back it up. Not only is there no reputable scientific evidence, but it really doesn’t make much common sense. Cow’s milk is for baby cows, after all, and is designed by nature to be perfect for little calves’ growing immune systems, not ours. Although that’s even debatable, as most dairy cows these days are so crowded, sick and drugged up, I doubt they’re passing on much of anything beneficial to their offspring, whom they never meet anyway. A better way to boost your immunity? Reduce stress! Get exercise! Eat mostly vegetables! Enjoy yourself! Honest.
2. Lisa wants to know if oxygenated water is healthier than regular tap or bottled water.
Nope. I wrote a fun piece debunking these much-hyped “mock waters” some time ago, and it was published over at my good friend Gabrielle Reece’s site. You can also read it here. I’ve gotten some questions about reverse osmosis, bottled water safety (it’s coming, Evelyn!), and other H20 issues, so I’ll be posting a more in-depth look at all things liquid very soon.
3. I’ve also gotten a lot of questions about the current web controversy (no, not the Digg debacle): CAM regulation from the FDA.
Joe Mercola, no stranger to controversy, did what I felt was a very fair job of setting the record straight on this issue. (Note: I certainly don’t endorse all that he has to say, but this is a very balanced look at the current panic over CAM). The very knowledgeable Cindy Hebbard of Wisdom of Healing, politely refuted Mercola’s point of view after I recommended she check out his exploration of this issue. I encourage you to read both points of view if you’re curious.
The blogosphere is certainly hopping all over this issue. People’s response to this issue has been overwhelming – with the FDA extending, then short-changing, the public comment period. Health Ranger Mike Adams of NewsTarget ponders: will juice be banned? Will massage oil be available by prescription only? (Here’s what this science blogger I admire has to say).
I am a big proponent of being a squeaky wheel - nothing works better when it comes to getting governments and corporations to change. (That, and voting with your wallet.) And it’s no secret that the FDA is hardly a friend of natural living and often uses obscenely aggressive tactics against perfectly innocent naturopaths, herbal therapists and the like (just read Cindy’s response to me at her blog). Honestly, I’m glad everyone is picking up on this, because it’s a healthy sign of actively involved citizens.
That said, what the FDA is issuing is simply a (rather repetitive) guidance letter, not a regulation. The FDA doesn’t have legislative power, so this is more of a slap in the face than anything. Given that the rules aren’t being changed, it’s annoying, perhaps, and it’s indicative of the FDA’s attitude towards natural health, but it’s not really a “new” threat. Those of us who have been in the natural health industry have been aware of this issue for quite some time, and there’s just nothing scary here. Yes, the wording of “modalities” – meaning therapies – has been changed to “medicines”. But again, there is no cause for grave alarm. (And as you loyal readers know, I harbor no great and abiding love for the FDA. The FDA is the brunt of many a roast here at MDA).
Here’s the deal: as before, as long as any supplement or natural therapy isn’t making a claim of medical treatment or cure, you can expect things to be business as usual. For example, Mike Adams brings up cranberry juice in his blogging about this issue. In accordance with the FDA’s “new” guidance, cranberry juice can’t be marketed as a cure for bladder infections. It can be marketed as being beneficial for urinary tract health. But…this is nothing new.
Tell the FDA you’re unhappy with where they’re putting their attention and resources – but don’t panic. (This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep an eagle-eye on the FDA, of course. These are the folks who have a problem with stevia, after all. I’ve long noticed that new guidance issuances and sudden press releases about the “danger” of vitamins typically coincide with Big Pharma and FDA scandals. Trucking out sensational scares always makes for a nice distraction from the bigger issues.)
Stick around for a look at the environment and food packaging from Sara and a healthy recipe for your weekend brought to you by Aaron. Have a wonderful weekend, Apples!
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Technorati Tags: transfer factor supplements, oxygenated water, mock waters, CAM regulation, FDA, naturopaths, herbal therapists, medical treatment
Posted By: Mark Sisson
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